Last night Erika and I were walking
though a night market when we stumbled upon this family.
As
we began to walk toward them I began to look away. I am certain that
being a beggar is a great source of shame for this lady. Therefore,
I did not desire to be like everyone else that just peers down their
nose at her for cluttering the streets. My heart breaks for these
people, they have so little that begging is their best chance for
survival. As we walked closer Erika asked me, “Is it ok if we stop
and give the lady some money and pray for her?” I was torn to say
the least. I could hardly look at this child or her family because I
could feel the shame. In addition, my heart just flat out breaks for
people stuck in conditions like this. So it is easier for me to just
look away rather than to press into the situation.
it hurts me to much to
we do not share a
the logical thought pattern that allowed me to feel comfortable with
just walking by. However, my beautiful wife has a heart the size of
Alaska that was beckoning her to make a difference. As you can
imagine, we stopped. We stopped in the middle of the night market
and prayed for this family in English. This family did not
understand a word that we said, but I hope that the fact that we
stopped demonstrated something to her and her child. So we prayed.
We prayed that God would take the spirit of poverty and the orphan
spirit from this family and reveal to them His love.
walked away. As we were walking I kept thinking about this lady ,
her child, and the millions of people like them around the world. I
was just thinking to myself, I had the resounding thought, “this is
not fair.” As I was thinking I could not help but recall a
conversation I had earlier that day with a friend.
My friend had
been asked the question why did God chose you. As He began
pondering he became filled with an indignation that he was chosen.
He realized how unfair the process of God’s choosing was. At this
point the Holy Spirit wacked him upside the head and said that is it!
It is not fair, you did not do anything to earn it! It is by MY
GRACE ALONE that you are chosen. Intellectual property from Weston
Belkot.
I realized in this moment the power of
God’s grace. There is a deep reality that everything I have now or
will ever have is simply because of Him and not myself. I am a
middle class white man by God’s grace and God’s grace alone. My
mother and father were both white. By default I am white. I am
middle class and that is by His grace also! I did not create myself
in the womb with strong hands and a sharp brain God did. Yes I work
hard to make money but I would not have the skill set unless God had
given it to me. Yes I went to college, but the money that allowed me
to go was from the skills that God gave me in the womb. I can trace
everything in my life back to the grace of God.
world is where they are because of the measure of Grace that they
have been given. Some people work really hard and improve
themselves. I am one of those people! Yet I have realized that even
our ability to dig deep and press in is a measure of grace that was
given from God. God has given me an immense amount of giftings
therefore, there is much that is expected from me. God said, to whom
much is given, much is required. He also says to him who has more
will be given. He says he who is faithful with a little will be
entrusted with much.
I am asking everyone to answer this
question:
Who pleased God
more in this story? The lady taking care of her family or Erika for
giving her money and praying for her?
There is no right or wrong answer!
I am just curious what peoples thoughts are.
